The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.
Opera | “To devote oneself wholeheartedly to mastering a particular school of singing is the most misguided thing one can do.”
Author:
Source:
Time:
2022-12-31
Nowadays, no matter which role a performer takes, they are expected to adhere strictly to a particular “school” or “style.” A singer of sheng roles is invariably associated with the Tan School, the Yu School, the Ma School, or even the Yan School and the Gao School; a martial‑arts‑specialist (wusheng) will invariably claim the Yang School; a qingyi singer will invariably invoke the Mei School, the Cheng School, or the Shang School; a huadan singer will invariably speak of the Xun School or the Xiao School; and a laodan singer will invariably tout the Gong School…
“Liu Wu Hua Dong”: From right to left are Xun Huisheng, Cheng Yanqiu, Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, Xiao Cuihua, and Wang Youqing.
There are also other schools of thought, each insisting that one must adopt a particular style or school—almost as if success were impossible without it. At the same time, those who tout a certain school go to great lengths to emulate it. In my view, this is the most misguided approach. I would even venture to say that, for anyone, attempting to imitate another person is the most difficult task; no matter how much intelligence one possesses, one will still fail to master it.
A few years ago, Chen Lifang studied under Cheng Yanqiu and did quite well in the end. In fact, her voice was originally very good; but ever since she began imitating Cheng Yanqiu, her singing quality has noticeably deteriorated—why go to such lengths?
Chen Lifang’s “Scolding the Palace”
Liang Yiming studied Ma Lianliang, but he failed to grasp the true essence of Ma’s art; instead, he merely imitated his lisp—quite a wasted effort!
My view is this: you should devote yourself to studying vocal style, pronunciation, stage presence, and all the other elements. If you admire a particular aspect of someone’s performance, learn that specific part—there’s no need to try to imitate them exactly. First of all, you must recognize that they are who they are, and you are who you are; their voice is theirs, and yours is yours. Their voice is different from yours—how could you possibly copy it? Even if you insisted on imitating them, it would only be wasted effort, yielding little reward.
Moreover, if you try to emulate Ma Lianliang, at best you can only reach his level—never surpass it. It simply doesn’t make sense to aim for a standard that’s higher than the original, does it? And this holds true not only when imitating Ma Lianliang, but with anyone else as well.
“The Meeting to Remove the Plume” by Ma Lianliang and Zhang Junqiu
If you diligently and systematically study the art of singing, following your own voice and developing it in accordance with its natural range, this embodies the principle that “nature is close; habit diverges.” By tailoring your practice to the pitch and timbre of your voice, you can achieve pleasing results quickly and efficiently. Originally, your voice was different from his; yet you insisted on imitating him, which only led you astray. As it turned out, not only did you fail to learn well, but you even ended up losing your own strengths—what a pity!
Ever since I began studying traditional opera at the age of nineteen, I’ve never really known whom to emulate; I’ve simply sung in a way that suits my own voice—singing however sounds best and feels least uncomfortable.
I believe my approach is far superior to blindly imitating others: it allows me to tap into my own instincts while avoiding self‑defeat. If you can call yourself a “Ma‑style” performer, why shouldn’t I, in turn, become an “Zhang‑style” one? The same principle applies to everything: adapt to your circumstances and don’t force yourself into something that doesn’t suit you. In my view, there’s nothing better than this.
Source: “The World of Opera,” Liyuan Magazine, Issue No. 374, 1948 Submissions welcome: 363036353@qq.com
Copyright © Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall of Fuzhou City (Fuzhou Tang Xianzu Culture and Art Center) Technical Support:China Enterprise Dynamics-Nanchangvertical strokeSEO
